


MADHatter

by maddestofthemad



Category: Alice (2009)
Genre: Alice in Wonderland, F/M, Mad Hatter - Freeform, au hatter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-22
Updated: 2012-09-03
Packaged: 2017-11-12 15:25:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/492724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maddestofthemad/pseuds/maddestofthemad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This fiction depicts Wonderland after the Red Queen fell, after which Jack is denied by Alice and this rejection leads him to take drastic measures. Alice is forcibly removed from Wonderland and the Hatter is taken captive by Jack Heart, the new King.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> AU.

Wonderland – where the currency is the emotions of people – oysters – and the Red Queen rules with a hand of cruelty and a quick fix. Her son, Jack Heart, grew to the age of manhood surrounded by schemes and plots of the darkest sort, learning to sew deceit in the subtlest of ways. Over the years, his bitterness towards his mother grew to such intensity that it became hate. In the months leading up to his arranged marriage to his mother’s creature, the Duchess, he began to put in to action the plan that would change everything.

Some time before his marriage was to become official, Jack stepped through the Looking Glass into the real world to find a girl spoken of in legend, a girl most thought no longer existed. Alice.

Without much time to spare, Jack threw himself in to wooing her, to shaping her, to making her love him. In time he found that he too was being affected by the splendor of the girl named Alice; so headstrong and intelligent. He began to question his plans. 

Soon he began to notice his mother’s Suits tailing him and he knew his time was short. He proposed to Alice, half hoping that she would decline so his heart would not have to suffer, and half hoping she would accept so his plan would be near completion. 

She denied him.

Shortly after he was captured by his mother’s men and dragged back to Wonderland to suffer his fate as a disobedient son, his thoughts often haunted by those of the girl in the blue dress. 

He did not have to wait for long, however, before rumors of an oyster girl gallivanting around Wonderland reached him. His hope was rekindled. As Alice made her way through his world, coming closer and closer to destroying his mother’s reign, a fierce determination began to grow within him. And when the girl reappeared in his mother’s clutches, with non other than the Hatter aiding in her quest, he felt his ambitions soar to new heights.

His mother’s reign toppled and Alice safe, Jack stood in the chamber of the Looking Glass, his gaze upon the woman he had come to love.

 

Alice stood before the Looking Glass, staring in to the depths of the mirror, seeming almost intrigued by her own appearance. She wore the same clothes she had come in, except her coat. The velvety jacket had been a gift, from someone she had come to admire in her own way as they had traversed the dangerous paths of Wonderland. A hand fell upon her shoulder and she turned, smiling up at Jack – the man who had originally won her heart. 

“Alice,” he smiled in return. His features were so perfect, so smooth, almost as if he were a doll. She faced him fully. He was fiddling with something in his hand and, as she looked down, she saw that it was the Ring of Wonderland – the trinket that had started it all.

“Who would’ve thought,” she mused.

“Alice,” she looked back up at Jack, “I asked you this once before and you denied me…” his eyes bored in to hers, their intensity unnerving her. “But now I ask again, for myself.” He knelt down on one knee, raising his hand to her with the ring clutched lightly in his fingers, “Will you be my queen?”

The chamber was deathly silent as all eyes turned to the pair. Alice glanced about herself, unable to speak for a moment. Then she caught sight of him.

Hatter.

His back was to her and he was making for the door. Her heart constricted painfully and she moved away from Jack without pausing to think.

“Hatter!” she ran up to him, grabbing his arm to stop him from leaving. He turned to her, his eyes sad. “Weren’t you going to say goodbye?” she accused. The Hatter glanced over her shoulder, taking in the seething Jack from across the room. The prince watched with barely concealed hatred.

“I – that is, I mean - ” he looked down, embarrassed.

“Come with me,” Alice reached out, tilting his face so she looked him in the eyes. “Please?” she whispered.

If he had still been looking at the prince, Hatter would have seen the anger boiling to the surface. He would have seen the fury snap something in the man. But, so captivated by the woman before him, he saw none of this.

“Take them!” Alice spun as Jack’s voice rang through the chamber, her hand instinctively intertwining with Hatter’s. As the Suits rushed them, Alice stared wide-eyed at Jack.

“What are you doing?!” she screamed, trying to keep a hold of Hatter as the Suits began to wrench them a part. “Jack! Stop this!” 

“My dearest Alice,” Jack crooned, “If I cannot have you, no one shall. Especially not one as filthy as this lackwit.”

“Hatter!” Alice fought the grips of the Suits, her hope fleeing as she watched Jack twirl the ring in his fingers. 

“Maybe my mother had it right after all,” he mused darkly, “Maybe - ”

Shouting filled the air, erupting in to a full battle cry as Charlie charged through the doors, white armor shining in the light reflected by the Looking Glass.

“Charlie!” Hatter fought to free himself and managed to dislodge one of his captors, freeing his right arm. Swinging fiercely, he knocked away two more and moved for Alice. “Get the ring!” he shouted, wading in to the fight. 

Alice held her own, as usual, and it looked as if they might escape. Charlie closed in on the prince, laughing to himself as he skipped forward, still gleeful that he had defeated his own cowardice just hours before. The prince smiled slyly and stepped forward, facing the knight with ease. The Hatter approached from behind, his eyes locked on the hand that held the Ring of Wonderland, one thought dominating his mind; get Alice home. As Charlie took a blow that knocked him to the ground, Hatter made his move. 

With a yell, he darted forward, landing a punch with his right hand on the prince’s shoulder. Jack shouted in pain, dropping the ring as his arm hung useless at his side. He spun to face Hatter, his face contorted with rage, “You!” he lunged at the Hatter with renewed vigor, and Hatter backed away at the ferocity of the attack.

Charlie lunged forward, his fingers closing around the ring. Scrambling to his feet, he ran to Alice, who was standing next to the Looking Glass, eyes locked on the battle before her. Carefully, Charlie placed the ring in the slot, watching as the Looking Glass shimmered and let go an inner sigh of relief as it powered up. He turned as Alice let out a cry of anguish and saw Hatter fall to the floor, dazed, with Jack Heart looming over him.

Hatter looked up, locking eyes with Alice for a brief moment. She saw something there, something that terrified her. “No!” she made to move toward him, but Charlie grabbed her, pulling her back. “Charlie, no! Let me help him!”

“Get her out of here, Charlie!” Hatter yelled, rising unsteadily as he faced Jack once more. Jack turned to try and stop Alice, but Hatter wrapped his arms around the man, holding him back.

“Hatter, NO!” Alice shrieked as Charlie dragged her towards the mirror.

“I’m sorry, Alice,” he smiled at her, “Try and remember to breathe,” and he shoved her through the Looking Glass. 

He turned back to view the chamber as Jack overpowered Hatter once more, throwing him to the ground. The Suits were beginning to rise once more, and Charlie bowed his head in defeat.

Hatter, bruised and bloodied, looked up from where he lay and saw that Alice had made it through the portal. Pain and relief swept across his face. Jack stood over him, shaking with anger.

“You will pay for this, Hatter,” he hissed as the Suits closed in on Charlie. 

Hatter smiled up at the new King, “But I won,” he pointed out.

With a snarl, Jack kicked out, his foot connecting with Hatter’s head and a resounding crack echoed through the chamber as Hatter fell unconscious and the Suits subdued Charlie.

“This is my kingdom now,” Jack growled, glaring at those in the chamber, “Lock them up.” As the Suits hurried to obey, Jack’s eyes fell on the Duchess, standing off to the side. “My dear, it would seem I am in need of a queen for the time being; wouldn’t you agree?” he held out his hand to her. Hesitating for only a moment, the Duchess approached him and took his hand, curtsying as she did so.

“It would seem so, your majesty.”

“Good. Make sure Hatter is brought to the Truth room. As for the…knight,” the word was filthy on his tongue, “do what you will.”

“As you wish, your majesty.” With another bobbed curtsy, the Duchess followed the Suits out of the chamber, leaving Jack to stare in to the Looking Glass, eyes cold and hard.


	2. The Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alice is back in her world, but Suits are closing in!

Air whooshed past her ears as Alice tumbled through the Looking Glass, trying to remind herself to breathe. Thoughts swirled in her mind, fear and terror for the man she had come to love. As she landed with a harsh thud, the breath knocked from her lungs, she lay on the ground for a moment, panting.

Slowly she got to her feet looked at the mirror she had fallen through. She reached out and her face fell as her palm pressed against solid glass. The doorway was closed. 

“No.” She clenched her fist, slamming it against the glass, “ _No!_ Let me in!” she pleaded, tears streaming down her face, “ _Please! Jack!_ ” She sank to her knees, defeated, sobbing quietly. “Please let me in…” 

After a few minutes passed and her sobs subsided to a soft sniffle, Alice rose to her feet, turned, and made her way home.

 

“Alice? Alice!” Alice started, looking up at her mother. “Have you heard a word I said?” her mother accused.

“Sorry,” Alice mumbled, looking down at her cup of tea. She had made it home a few hours before only to discover that she had been gone for a mere hour in this world. Time passed differently in the two places, or so she assumed. A few hours had passed since her return home, and she could not fathom how much time had passed in Wonderland.

How much time had passed for Hatter.

The image of him, sprawled on the floor, bloody, haunted her, combining with the image of her father, dying in her arms as he had just remembered what his life used to be. That Alice was his daughter. That his life in Wonderland was a lie. And then there was Charlie – one of the bravest men she had ever known. He had saved her life more than once in the past few days. 

The past hour.

She rubbed her tired eyes, trying to reconcile with it all.

“ _Alice!_ ” Her mother scolded impatiently.

“Excuse me,” Alice rose to her feet and walked in to her room, ignoring her mother’s indignant expression.

Flopping on to her bed, Alice put her face in to her pillow, stifling the sobs that threatened to rise once more. As the occurrences of her time in Wonderland flickered through her mind, more and more vivid each time, Alice drifted into an uneasy slumber.

 

She woke abruptly, every nerve in her body humming. Something was off. The time she had spent in Wonderland had taught her many things, one of which was when to know danger was near. It was a feeling like darkness closing in on her, like there were eyes around her, like she was being watched. 

Sitting up, she glanced out her window and was startled to see it was nighttime. She must have slept most of the afternoon. For a moment her heart constricted as she wondered how much time had passed for Hatter. Did he still think of her? A sound outside called her from her pondering, and she quietly padded over to the window. Glancing down she saw something that chilled her to the bone, and set a fire burning in her stomach.

Suits. At least four of them. The uniforms were unmistakable. Her breath caught in her throat. If they were here, the Looking Glass was open again. If they were here, she could go there. One of the Suits looked up and she quickly ducked from his sight. Her heart raced as she waited for the cry that would signal her capture.

One beat.

Two.

Nothing.

In seconds she made her decision. Grabbing the coat that Hatter had given to her she thrust her arms in to the sleeves and jogged out to the living room. There was a small sliver of light streaming under her mother’s bedroom door, so she tread softly as she headed for the front door, and disappeared in to the night.

Avoiding the Suits was easy enough. They were obviously looking for her, but she knew the streets better than they did, and she took the back alleys until she found herself staring in to the Looking Glass once more. 

The mirror looked as solid as ever, but when she reached her hand out this time the surface rippled at her touch. Pulling her hand back, she smiled to herself. She could get back. She glanced around herself warily, but she was alone. A moment more of hesitation was all she allowed herself as she knew if she contemplated reappearing in the Looking Glass chamber, amidst Jack’s men, she might lose the courage. Taking a deep breath, she stepped through and let the fall tear away her fears.

 

“You’re majesty!” A Suit rushed in to the throne room, stumbling over his robe as he skidded to a halt before his king. Jack Heart, King of Wonderland, sat upon his throne, his gaze regally sweeping over the room until finally settling on the servant before him.

“Speak.”

“My lord, the Looking Glass - ” the Suit paused, wringing his hands together as he shifted from foot to foot.

The Duchess wrinkled her nose at the Suit, distaste coloring her features. “Do get to the point,” she drawled.

“We thought it was the Suits returning with Alice - ” 

Jack leaned forward, his face hungry, “Yes?”

“But,” the Suit looked at his feet, “There were no Suits. Just Alice.” Jack’s face contorted.

“She’s here?” He stood quickly, about to head for the chamber himself.

“My lord,” the Suit continued warily, “She…she is no longer there,” he said.

“ _What?_ ” Jack’s words cut like knives and the Suit flinched.

“There was a, an attack,” he rambled, “the Resistance. They…they found her and brought her away. We lost them in the ruins.”

“Fools!” Jack shouted, turning on the man, “All of you fools! Go after them, find them, I don’t care how – JUST DO IT!”

“Yes, your majesty, of course, your majesty, right away,” the Suit turned to leave.

“Not you.” He froze in his tracks, turning his head slowly until he looked upon his King.

“Y-your majesty?”

Jack pointed towards another Suit in the room, “You. Find them. Hunt them down. Bring her to me. And the Hatter. No mistakes, understood?” The Suit nodded and hurried away. Jack turned back to the original one, the one who had given him the report.

“Off with his head.”

 

A ways away, Charlie led his horse towards the edge of the ruins, Alice close behind. As they had made their escape, Charlie had managed to fill in Alice on a few of the occurrences in the past six months. Alice had not heard most of it, her ears still ringing as she came to terms with having been gone for so long.

“Charlie, what’s going on?” Alice carefully stepped around a large piece of stone. “Where’s Hatter?”

Charlie glanced at her, smiling sadly, “This way. We’re almost there.” Parting a curtain of vines, Charlie gestured for Alice to enter before him. Giving her friend a suspicious look, Alice ducked in to the clearing.

There was a wooden table, carved from what must have been the largest tree Alice had ever seen. Chairs were arranged neatly around it. It was the most common thing in her sight. Giant flowers, mushrooms, and trees of every shape, size, and color adorned the area. But Alice’s eyes were drawn to the one figure sitting at the head of the table.

The Mad Hatter looked up from his cup. His now brilliant emerald eyes glittered strangely, his hair mussed more than usual, his skin pale in the shifting light. He took in the figure before him, ignoring the knight beside the girl. A slow smile spread across his face. But it was not the smile Alice remembered. She stared at him, struck by his appearance.

“Hatter, what happened?” she breathed.

A slight giggle sounded from him, “They call me Mad,” he replied teasingly, running his tongue along his lips. ”The Maddest of the Mad, the Hatter!” He bounced to his feet, inching towards her as his eyes raked her frame. She took a step back from him and he froze.

His eyes widened and his smile turned sly, “Hello, Alice.”


	3. The Maddest of the Mad

“My king?” The Duchess knelt before the throne, her golden dress spread around her, rippling in the sun.

“She’s back, Duchess, she has returned.” Jack was standing at the window, gazing out over the kingdom. “I cannot fathom why she would do such a thing. But since she has…” he turned to face the Duchess.

“My lord?” She stood as he offered her his hand, helping her to her feet.

“Her return may present me with the perfect opportunity,” he smiled ruthlessly, “we can use her to lure him out. Maybe once he’s been stripped of what little sanity he has left, she’ll see what a mistake she made.”

“Perhaps, my lord.” The Duchess would not look him in the eye.

“My dear, is something amiss?” Jack reached out, lifting her chin until she faced him fully, “You seem distracted.”

The Duchess smiled wanly, “Just tired, my lord. The excitement as of late has taken its toll.”

“I see,” he dropped his hand, brow furrowed. “You should rest. I will see to the preparations myself.”  
The Duchess curtsied and left the room.

Jack turned back to the windows, his gaze towards the ruins. “I’ll have you soon enough,” he whispered.

 

Alice sat at the table, watching as Hatter meandered around the clearing. She studied him carefully as he approached trees the size of flowers with leaves the color of the summer sky, flowers the size of trees with stems so green the rivaled Hatter’s eyes, grass as tall as a house in strips of red and purple that swayed gently in the breeze, and mushrooms the size of a horse with tops like shingles on a roof. Each time Hatter stopped, he would smile, whistle a short tune, and pluck a piece of whatever plant it was to put in the basket he carried. 

Charlie, who was standing a few feet to Alice’s side, was rubbing down his armor which, in Alice’s opinion, was in quite a better state than it had been the last time she had seen him. The dents had been popped out, the dirt washed away, and it had been polished. There were new scratches, and a few pieces were chipped, but all in all he looked like a proper knight.

“Charlie?” He glanced up, smiling that crooked half-smile she so adored. “What happened to him?” She glanced back to Hatter, watching as he crouched to caress one of the trees, crooning to it quietly.

“My dearest Alice, tis not something I can tell you. I would say it is very much his story, and not mine, to tell.” His eyes followed Hatter for a moment and he sighed, setting his armor aside. “But I can tell you some of what has passed in your absence, if you so wish.” He paused as Hatter stood, strutting back over to them and set the basket on the table.

“Right!” He clapped his hands together gleefully, “Tea, tea, t-t-tea,” he tutted his tongue and giggled, “Would you like some tea, Alice? The grandest of tea, the glorious tea, the tea that was never tea!” he spun around, arms outstretched, as he laughed. Stopping abruptly, he reached out, snagging an oversized teapot off of the table, and dumped the contents of his basket in to it. Pausing, he winked at Alice, then ducked under the table and disappeared for a moment.

Alice stared at Charlie, unable to speak.

Hatter popped back up, the teapot in his hand steaming as he set it down and poured a cup for himself, a cup for Charlie, and one more for Alice. He flopped in to a chair, cradling his beverage, watching Alice from over the rim of the cup. Charlie slid his closer, but did not partake immediately. When Alice reached for hers, Charlie cleared his throat and shook his head, sliding it away from her.

Hatter clacked his teeth and took a few sips of his concoction. For a moment nothing happened, then his eyes seemed to clear, the color sharpened. The vibrance of his hair was startling against the pale white of his skin, and he shifted to sit a bit straighter.

“Now,” when he spoke his voice was almost normal, but it rang with a strange key that sent shivers down Alice’s spine, “Charlie you were about to fill her in.”

Charlie sighed. “Perhaps you wish to now?” he eyed Hatter suspiciously, almost distastefully. Alice was struck by the change in both of her friends. They seemed to have almost switched personalities, yet there were hints of the originals there.

Hatter shook his head, still watching Alice intently over his teacup. “Not yet.” A feral smile played across his lips, “Not quite. Wouldn’t want to startle,” he giggled, sipping at his drink.

Unable to continue looking at Hatter, Alice switched her full attention to Charlie. “Alright, explain.”

Charlie reached out, running a finger along the side of his teacup, tracing the patterns. After a moment, he began to speak. “After we got you out, things went bad.” A shadowed past of his face as he recalled those days. “Survival wasn’t a sure thing, and there were…” he glanced at Hatter, who continued to stare intently at Alice, “…issues. Some people liken Jack to his mother,” Charlie’s nose wrinkled and he gave a bark of harsh laughter, “I would call him worse. The resistance has been working to get rid of him, much like we did before, but…our resources are limited, and many that once worked with us now work against us.”

“Pah, cowards. The lot of them,” Hatter waved a dismissive hand.

“Anyway, we banded together – miscreants, hoodlums, criminals – “ Charlie looked pointedly at Hatter, “and we started again.”

“So the resistance is still active?” Alice queried. 

“Bunch of ragamuffins without much use, they are,” Hatter quipped. He leaned forward quickly, setting his teacup on the table as he rested his arms on his legs, smiling at Alice.

For a second he looked like his normal self.

“We’re trying to get Jack off the throne and we’ve got nothing to throw at him,” His lip twitched and he closed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to compose himself. 

“With you here,” his smiled turned dangerous, “We might stand a chance.” 

“Hatter!” Charlie stood swiftly, knocking over his own tea in the process. He stood towering over the man, “We spoke of this and decided it was not a plan worth pursing!” he gestured at Alice, “She is not to be put in danger.”

Hatter quirked his head to the side, examining every inch of Alice with unnerving precision.

“Do it once, do it again, do it twice, and it’s genius.” Alice frowned at his words. He sounded so strange. Hatter stood, slapping her on the shoulder, “Come on, Charlie! It’ll be like old times, eh?” he winked, nudging the knight with his elbow as he turned and skipped away.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Charlie mumbled.


	4. Never the Same

As Alice hurried off after Hatter, Charlie found himself standing alone in the garden, surrounded by the absurd plant life that seemed to defy the laws of nature. He sat with a huff, staring at his hands.

“Charlie, old boy,” he scolded himself, “You’ve gotten yourself in to it this time.” He looked up in time to see Alice’s blue dress disappear in to the woods, her voice fading away as she called for Hatter.

Hatter was bounding through the trees at full speed, laughing as he ducked under branches and leaves. This part of the forest was quite neat and tidy, with a light sprinkling of grass that flickered dark and light in the shadows of the sun. His orange coat flashed brightly against the rich brown of the tree bark, and his green eyes sparkled with glee.

“Hatter – wait!” Alice chased after him, stumbling over roots and fallen twigs which clawed at her dress and ripped small holes in the pearlescent fabric.  
“You’ll have to move faster than that, my dear!” Hatter called over his shoulder as he vanished behind a small rise.

Topping the rise, Alice stopped, breathing hard. Before her stretched a great span of the ruins, though this particular area seemed to be in better condition than that which they had just come from. The ivy had yet to claim the tallest peaks of stone and little had crumbled compared to near the garden where rocks the size of houses obstructed paths. She gazed at them for a moment, before coming to her senses to look around.

Hatter was nowhere in sight.

“Hatter?” she called, taking a step down toward the ruins. “Hatter!” she hissed. Careful of her footing, she slowly edged her way down the bluff. As she reached the bottom, sighing in relief as the ground felt sturdy under her once more, Alice took in her surroundings.

A flash of orange caught her attention at the corner of her eye. She turned.

Nothing.

“Hatter?” she asked softly.

She could only hear the birds chirping.

“Hatter!”

“Like a bird, you are,” she jumped as Hatter’s voice came from directly behind her. Spinning around she found herself staring in to those fathomless emerald eyes.

“A – a bird?” she stuttered.

He tilted his head to the side, very birdlike himself, “A bird – chatter chatter chatter,” he sighed, rolling his eyes as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, “Ask what you want to ask if you want to ask what you want to ask,” he said.

“I – what?” Alice frowned, trying to order her thoughts. He made it very difficult; his face so close, his eyes – so intense they seemed to shine brighter by the second – bored in to hers, his breath soft and even. 

“Questions!” he broke eye contact abruptly, spinning in a circle, and striding off in to the ruins, “We all have them – what little good they do us, what confusion they cause. Answers? Now _there’s_ a question!”

“Hatter, that’s enough!” Alice stood facing him, determination written in every inch of her.

He stopped, slowly turning to face her. His own face was serious for a moment, but there was a flash in his eyes – of fear, or anger, or something else entirely Alice was unsure – but something that caused her to feel afraid.

“Hatter…” she walked over to him slowly, until she was a mere hand’s-breadth away. His eyes were suddenly looking anywhere, everywhere, just not at her. “Hatter, please…” she reached out to touch his cheek, her eyes trying to hold his for just a moment as she searched for the man she had fallen in love with.  
Just before her hand touched his skin, he flinched and backed away, shaking his head. “No,” the word came out quietly at first, “No. No, no, no!” he fidgeted with his hat, his hands running through his hair and over his face, “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” he asked suddenly, glancing up at Alice. “Why is a raven like a writing desk, he asks,” he giggled, backing away further, “It isn’t, it is, it was, it’s not,” the words came quickly as he continued to pace.

Alice watched, horrified at the change in the man before her. “Hatter – I - ”

Suddenly he stopped, his eyes cleared slightly, and he looked back up at Alice. “Tea.”

With that one word, he walked purposefully past her, almost as if ignoring her, and began to make his way back up to the top of the bluff.

 

“My king – the scouts have come back in.”

Jack sat on his throne, overlooking a small group of Suits dressed in civilian clothing. “And?”

“We’ve had sightings of the girl – she’s in the old ruins. It seems the White Knight took her there.” The lone Suit reporting knelt before the dais, eyes to the floor.  
“Of course. Do we know where they have set up camp?” Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully, glancing over at the Duchess who sat beside him in a slightly shorter, less regal looking, throne.

“No, my king. We were unable to locate their base.”

Jack’s hand clenched in to a fist and he slammed it down on the arm of his seat, “I don’t care about reports or sightings or rumors!” he yelled, “Find them and bring them to me, and do not return until you do so! Understand?”

The Suit trembled as he stood, keeping his eyes cast downward, “Y-yes, m-my k-k-king,” he stammered.

As the Suits scurried to obey, Jack turned to the Duchess. “My dear, I may have a special job for you.”

She smiled up at him, but the smile did not reach her eyes.

“Anything for you, my love.”


End file.
